Opinion: Should hospital payments be cut if it's cheaper in doctor's office?

I emailed a handful of North Texas hospital executives to get their take on a federal advisory panel's recommendation that Congress cut payments to hospitals for services that can be provided less expensively in doctors' offices. It turned out to be a lively debate. Joel Allison, president & CEO of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System said patients get the best value when they're treated in the most appropriate venue. "Depending on a patient's condition, a hospital which by design has greater capabilities may be more appropriate than a physician's office for certain services," Allison said in reply to my email. "To ensure that hospitals can continue to provide appropriate care to patients in the right setting, they need to be adequately reimbursed."